Introduction to Summer Literacy Program
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Verlean Singletary always made sure she bought books every holiday for her daughter, Courtney Woods. And Singletary always kept books around their home.
Soon, Woods developed a love of reading when she was young and began stealing her mom’s books to read.
Now, Singletary and Woods operate the bookstore Da Book Joint in South Shore, and they have kicked off a summer literacy program to foster a love of reading among children across Chicago.
Program Details
The ReadUp program challenges K-12 students to read at least three books a month, starting in June. If they succeed, they’ll be eligible to receive a free personal pan pizza from Reggio’s Pizza in Grand Boulevard.
“What we’re trying to really do … is stimulate reading with our kids over the summer because sometimes over the summer, kids forget everything they learn during the school year,” Singletary said. “Our goal is to make sure kids find books they relate to. They see kids that look like them, stories they connect with — that fosters a love for reading.”
Da Book Joint focuses on carrying books by African American writers. The store was mostly an online shop since 2007, but moved into a physical space in 2023 at 6900 S. Stony Island Ave.
It’s known for hosting events like Once Upon A Brunch, book clubs, creative writing workshops, silent reading parties and author talks. So the summer literacy program was a natural expansion, they said.
“Our main focus is literacy,” Singletary said. “We have to start with the kids because you get them young and get them hooked on reading, and there’s no limit to where they can go.”
Partnership with Reggio’s Pizza
Da Book Joint focuses on selling books written by African American authors.
Tyler Pasciak Lariviere / Sun-Times
“It’s definitely been an idea that we’ve had for a little over a year,” Woods said. “We’ve been trying to figure out a program that we could do based around reading and trying to really connect with different local businesses.”
Astin Hayes, creator of the Tipoff Game, a word guessing app focused on Black culture, recommended Reggio’s Pizza to the mother-and-daughter team.
“[Reggio’s] is a Black-owned, family-operated business. So the partnership was pretty easy to come around to because we both have similar values. We definitely both wanted to do something, as far as literacy for our community,” Woods said.
Importance of Literacy
Advancing literacy rates for the surrounding community is important to Woods and Singletary. One in three Chicago Public School students in 3rd through 8th grade could read at their grade level in 2024, and the stats were worse for minority students, according to the Illinois Policy Institute. The report also found less than 25% of CPS 11th graders in 2024 could read at their grade level.
“It’s so important to us because on the South Side, literacy rates are still pretty low. … There are still entire schools on the South Side of kids who are not reading at the reading level that they should be,” Woods said.
How to Participate
To participate in the ReadUp program, each month students log the books on Da Book Joint’s website, under the ReadUp section that takes them to an online form. The form asks for things like a list of book titles, a summary of the student’s favorite book and a one minute video about a book that was read.
Participants must get books from either Da Book Joint or the Chicago Public Library, and they must upload their receipt as proof on the website.
To receive the free pizza, participants must come to the bookstore’s monthly meetup at Reggio’s Pizza, at 4438 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Meetups will be held June 26, July 31 and Aug. 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The meetups will have giveaways, author visits and games.
“If kids can get into reading and reading becomes easy for them all other subjects become easier for them,” Singletary said. “Because without knowing how to read … math, social studies, science, all of that is a foreign language.”
Conclusion
The summer literacy program at Da Book Joint is a great initiative to foster a love of reading among children in Chicago. With the partnership with Reggio’s Pizza, the program offers a fun and rewarding experience for participants. By encouraging kids to read and providing them with access to books and resources, Da Book Joint is helping to improve literacy rates and create a brighter future for the community.
FAQs
Q: What is the ReadUp program?
A: The ReadUp program is a summer literacy program that challenges K-12 students to read at least three books a month, starting in June.
Q: How can students participate in the program?
A: Students can participate by logging their books on Da Book Joint’s website and attending the monthly meetups at Reggio’s Pizza.
Q: What are the benefits of participating in the program?
A: Participants will receive a free personal pan pizza from Reggio’s Pizza and have the opportunity to attend meetups with giveaways, author visits, and games.
Q: Why is literacy important?
A: Literacy is important because it helps kids succeed in all subjects and creates a brighter future for the community.
